Aus Tin said the approval would allow it to increase its annual processing rate from about 2500 tonnes of ore per year to about 40,000 tonnes.

“The Granville expansion is an important milestone that will enable the company to resume mining at the high grade Granville East Mine and provides the platform from which the company can generate cashflow to fund its portfolio of projects,” chief executive Peter Williams said.

“It’s an exciting period for the company at a time when LME (London Metal Exchange) tin stocks have fallen to 20-year lows; levels not seem since tin became a critical component of the electronics industry as a replacement for lead solder.”

The company aims to use cash from Granville to make progress with development projects on the mainland, including a tin project in New South Wales and a Queensland cobalt project.

Since the council’s approval, Aus Tin said, it had received formal approval for the expansion, confirming the increased production and permission to resume mining at Granville East.

“The company has now also received all accompanying conditions and is working with regulators to satisfy their requirements ahead of resumption in mining operations,” it told the ASX.

Conditions included new waste rock areas at the mine and a new tailings storage facility at the processing plant.

Aus Tin said it would seek to finalise the outstanding requirements in the next quarter.

In June, Mayor Phil Vickers said the project was another sign of investment in the area and had already created a few jobs.

It is expected to inject $500,000-700,000 per year into the West Coast and regional economy.